Light orange. Latexy, citrusy baking soda and puppy-mess-cleaning-product whiff. Smooth palate with minimal carbonation. Count to five and the sour bitter finish shows itself. Reminiscent of many cask bitters I had in England a few years ago. Above average for this style.

Sample at the brewpub. Clean, clear dark amber; big sweet cherry-malty nose, quite wonderful. Very dry, light, but full palate, with a nice finishing biscuity quality; could use perhaps a bit more sweetness, and less astringency to end, but very nice overall.

White ring on a glowing golden body. Moderate carbonation. Mostly dusty aroma with some malty directions. Very curious to have this side-by-side with their maibock, which is the sweeter of the two beers but share a lot in common, though a few shades of color apart. Moderate bitterness after a mostly plain flavor. Most disappointing was that this beer, unlike any other of Barley Johnís beers, suffers from a limp, even watery palate. This was the most pedestrian beer that they were serving the day I was there, so thatís still quite a testament to their overall high standards and approach to quality beers (no "house light" beers).

Clear, light copper color, thin, white, bubbly head.
Nose is fresh, though plain, yeasty, and faintly fruity.
Crisp taste, neat, tasty, tidy bitterness, great malty feel, excellent balance.
An easy quaffer, this, slightly sweet, but sure, and perfectly fills the bill for the style. I can imagine that this does the trick when a beerlover comes into the pub, needing a brew for the less adventurous companion.
Decent bitter, though Iíd choose one of their bigger brews.

UPDATED: MAY 19, 2004 Despite what some think, the bitter in my name refers to my affinity for English Bitter, not my disposition. That said, I was hoping for a little more from this beer. It had the color and tender nose of a bitter, but the taste hit my taste buds like a metal rod. Bam, with little to no floral character. It did the trick on a fine summer night, but I want more from a bitter. Would like to see what they would do with it cask. Sufficient, but not special.

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